Geohazards: Mitigating the Risks

• ©UNESCO-IGCP

The societal impact of geohazards is enormous. The Earth can be a dangerous place, and is often made more dangerous by human intervention. The accurate assessment and communication of risks are crucial to minimise the hazard potential from different geological threats facing people all over the world.

Geohazards include earthquakes, volcanic activity, landslides, tsunamis, floods, meteorite impacts and the health hazards of geologic materials. Geohazards can range from local events such as a rock slide or coastal erosion to events that threaten humankind (e.g., supervolcano or meteorite impact). Earth scientists undertake research to better understand these hazards and contribute to risk management policies related to social and technical issues associated with Geohazards as well as disaster mitigation.

Related IGCP Projects:

480 Tectonics of Central Asia, 2005-2009 (website)
B. Natal'in (Turkey), A. Yin (United States), A. M. C. Sengör (Turkey), M. Kuzmin (Russia)

482/489 Geodynamics of the East African Rift System / Geophysical Characteristics and Evolution of the South-western Branch of the East African Rift System, 2003-2007 (website)
G. Mulugeta (Sweden)/ A. Atekwana (United States), M.P. Modisi (Botswana), M.N. Sebagenzi (D.R. Congo), J.J. Tiercelin (France)

487 Seismic Microzoning of Latin American Cities, 2004-2008 (website)
J. L. Alvarez Gómez (Cuba), A. Giesecke (Peru), G. F. Panza (Italy)

490 Environmental Catastrophes, 2003-2007 (website)
S. Leroy (United Kingdom), I. Stewart (United Kingdom)

508Y Volcano collapse and fault activity - "Young Scientists Project", 2005-2007 (website)
I.Alejandro Petrinovic (Argantina), T. Toulkeridis (Ecuador), A. Concha Dimas (Mexico), C. Corazzato (Italy)

511 Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences, 2005-2009
Jacques Locat (Canada), Juergen Mienert and Roger Urgeles

521 Black sea Mediterranean Corridor during the last 30 ky: Sea level change and human adaptation, 2005-2009
Valentina Yanko-Hombach (Canada), Yucel Yilmaz (Turkey), Pavel Dolukhanov (United Kingdom)